Program for Success

Google manager retools tech wizard stereotypes.

Heather Salerno | Jul - Aug 2018

Although she attended a high school that specializes in science, technology, and math, Daraiha Greene ’12 never considered a career in computer science. “I didn’t see anyone who looked like me as a black woman doing it,” she says. “So I never thought that was a career for me.”

She’s trying to put a new face on the field. As head of multicultural engagement for Google’s computer science in media team, Greene plays a key role in the company’s push to encourage young women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups to enter the field. She started Google’s CS+X series to highlight how technology intersects with music, fashion, and other industries. She recently brought in pro basketball players Andre Iguodala and JaVale McGee to speak at an event about tech’s role in sports. “You might not have a jump shot like Steph Curry, but you could be a video analyst behind the scenes,” says Greene.

The L.A. resident also pitches storylines to Hollywood writers and producers to discourage the stereotype of the white male tech whiz. “We’re not trying to erase that image,” she says. “We just want to make that portrayal more inclusive.” She also coproduced Google’s first scripted web series, GodComplX, about a group of 20-something tech geniuses that’s a “model for diversity in Hollywood,” according to LA Weekly. “I always like to think big—and I try not to take no for an answer,” says Greene.